This invention generally relates to hinge devices. Specifically, it pertains to a dual stage hinge of a vehicle door that allows the door to open at least one hundred and eighty (180) degrees.
Vehicle door hinges are typically heavy-duty utilitarian hinges that allow the vehicle driver and passengers to enter and exit the vehicle in a routine manner. Vehicle doors are usually attached to the vehicle at the front edge of the vehicle door, and they swing outward from vehicle within a very limited horizontal range. Additionally, many vehicle doors are attached to the vehicle frame at two hinge connection points, which severely limits the doors range of motion.
Although vehicle door hinges are not always limited to less than ninety (90) degrees of opening range, currently very few hinges offer the ability to open a vehicle door over one hundred and sixty-eight (168) degrees.
When the rear doors of a vehicle with more than two (2) doors, such as a sedan, open by swinging out towards the back of the vehicle, such doors are called “suicide doors.” Currently no hinge offers the ability to open a suicide door over one hundred and sixty-eight (168) degrees. Moreover, the hinges that are available to be installed in rear doors to convert them into suicide doors are, typically, only compatible with four (4) door trucks, and are not compatible with four (4) door sedans. This incompatibility arises because the currently available hinges are too bulky to work with the arch cut shape of a typical sedan's rear doors.
In the area of dual stage vehicle door hinges, one type that is available is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,277, issued to Rangnekar, et al. (Rangnekar). However, Rangnekar discloses a pair of lightweight hinges that are connected with a rod. Additionally, the Rangnekar hinge is bulky and not designed to fit virtually every production model vehicle. The Rangnekar hinge also has a door stop mechanism that is external to the hinge housing. Finally, the Rangnekar hinge does not feature an adjustable maximum opening stop.
Thus, there remains a long felt need in the art for a dual stage vehicle door hinge that: allows a vehicle door to be opened at least one hundred and eighty (180) degrees; is compact; fits most production model vehicles, is inexpensive; is easy to install; is adjustable; and is off-the-shelf available.